


Young Blood

by constantly_regretful



Category: The Good Place (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boarding School, Eleanor takes responsibility, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Slow Burn, Teaching
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-09-24 00:19:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17090504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/constantly_regretful/pseuds/constantly_regretful
Summary: Eleanor Shellstrop wasn't the type of woman to take responsibility for her life, much less someone else's life. Despite her best judgement, Eleanor has been saddled with the care of her younger sister and tries to prove that she has the ability to be a functional adult.





	1. Prescott Hill Academy

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anythig from The Good Place and give all creative credit to the amazing writers of the show. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> A giant thank you to my beta Myx for everything, including listening to me conjure up this au and my terrible ideas while editing. Much love!

Stepping out of the car with an angry huff, Eleanor wondered what caused her to make this awful, yet responsible decision in the first place. Glancing to her left as her little sister stepped out of the car after her, Eleanor was swiftly reminded why.

Eleanor was Diana’s last living relative and when the court said they would only allow custody if Eleanor became responsible and got a safe job with benefits, there had been some internal debating. 

Not having the best role models to take from, deep down she wondered (and feared) if Diana would turn out the same way she had. Arizona trash.

Grabbing their bags, Eleanor and Diana made their way up the steps of the huge school. On a marble placard above the giant archways was the name of the school: ‘Prescott Hill Academy’. How pretentious.

“How did you even get a job here, Eleanor? You sold fake medicine to people.” Quickly shushing her, Eleanor leaned down to address Diana.

“Look, chickee. I fibbed a little on my resume. But I can bull my way through this no problem. This is going to be good for us.” She said, awkwardly patting Diana’s shoulder.

Despite being sisters, Eleanor knew almost nothing about the kid. That was probably the fact that as soon as she had the chance to jump ship away from the Shellstrop household, she did.

Continuing inside, Eleanor felt a pair of eyes zero in on the back of her head and, turning around, Eleanor straightened her shoulders immediately after looking at the beautiful woman’s gaze.

“Welcome! You must be Eleanor Shellstrop! I am Tahani Al-Jamil, the Cotillion Coordinator. And who is this with you?” Eleanor almost barked out a laugh when the woman bent down, like a giraffe at the watering hole, to address Diana.

Ignoring the hand held out to her, she just said, “Diana” with an unamused expression.

Without skipping a beat, the large woman quickly righted herself and continued.

“Wonderful! Well if you will follow me, I’ll guide you to your rooms to get settled. Not many of the other students have arrived, so enjoy the peace and quiet. Eleanor, you’ll need to come to the luncheon that I’ve organized to meet the other faculty members.”

Eleanor almost hated the woman for how she managed to make climbing upstairs in heels seem so elegant.

“But before that, you must attend a meeting with the dean. He’ll explain the dress code that we have established here and some of the rules and regulations.” Seeing Tahani eye her outfit of jeans and a hoodie, Eleanor found herself feeling ashamed and inferior to the woman.

“Well we can’t all look like we came out of the box five seconds ago.” Huffing under her breath as she lugged their suitcases up the stairs, the pair dropped Diana off at her room with a promise to check in later before they went down the wing to what seemed to be the rooms for the female faculty members.

Tahani led her to a room near the end of the end of the hallway and unlocked the door before sweeping the door open wide and letting Eleanor pass her by to go inside.

“It’s not very heavily furnished, but with your salary, I’m sure you’ll be able to spruce up the place. The dean’s office is back downstairs and near the main entrance. If you need help, I’m sure one of the other faculty members will be able to assist you.” Closing the door behind her, Tahani left Eleanor to her own devices.

Setting her things by the door, Eleanor opened her suitcase and pulled out a nice blouse and cardigan, not wanting to seem like a total bum in front of her new boss, especially since she fibbed a bit on her resume, so this con had to be air tight.

Putting on a bit of makeup, Eleanor nodded at her appearance in the bathroom mirror and hurried back down the stairs, her sneakers echoing along the halls in her haste to make the meeting on time.

Finding the dean’s office was more difficult than she had thought, but Eleanor sat down in a little waiting area outside the office on the couch provided, hands in her lap as she studied the décor. Fancy. Hopefully this guy wouldn’t be too uptight.

“Eleanor? Come on in.” The voice snapped her out of her musings on why some dude had so many plants outside his office, and she quickly went through the door that had been left open.

The inside of the dean’s office was fancy, for sure. A large mahogany desk stained dark brown, rich, plush chairs were in front of said desk.

Various display cases against the wall, and the large built in bookcases that held large volumes on their shelves made it clear that the man was well educated and high society, to say the least.

Focusing her attention on the man in question, she was a bit surprised that he was quite handsome despite the snow-white hair. “Hello, Eleanor. It’s nice to finally meet you.” His rumbling voice and quick smile didn’t help the feeling that was settling in the pit of her stomach.

“I’m Michael Dämon, the Dean at this school. Headmaster Shawn Thompson is currently away at a conference and won’t be back for some time, so I will be in charge.” With a friendly smile aimed at her, he picked up the stack of papers on his desk and shuffled through a few.

“Your resume says that you attended Adobe High School and then attended Arizona State University, majoring in Economics and minoring in Business, correct?” Mr. Dämon asked her.

Eleanor smiled pleasantly. That was one thing she hadn’t lied about on her resume. “Yes, I did.”

Humming thoughtfully, Mr. Dämon continued to read, his glasses catching a bit of the light coming through the large bay window, making it impossible for her to follow his eyes and see what he was reading.

“You taught at Tempe High School for several years, teaching Advanced Placement Economics. Impressive.” Setting down her file, Mr. Dämon leveled her with a stern gaze, gray eyes locking on to her blue ones, almost as if he was daring her to admit to her lie.

“Why did you accept the position? Someone of your caliber could teach at any number of private institutions in the area. And upheaving yourself to relocate must not have been pleasant.”

Pausing for a moment, Eleanor felt the need to be honest with the man before her. Maybe it was that soft expression. Maybe it was that stupid bowtie.

“I... recently got custody of my little sister. I decided to do right by her, because our mom didn’t. Since there’s a discount on tuition for teachers, this school seemed like the best option, to be honest with you, Mr. Dämon.”

Seeing genuine surprise on Mr. Dämon’s face, she hoped that he didn’t pity her or Diana. “Please, call me Michael behind closed doors. And I appreciate your honesty. It’s refreshing.” Leaning back, he studied Eleanor with a gaze that made both her skin crawl and her stomach pool with heat.

“Well, Eleanor, we have needed someone to teach the high school level economics class for this upcoming year. It would be a demanding task, since most of these children are headed for very important careers and come from affluent families.” Nodding in understanding, Eleanor quickly learned that this man was very serious about her time at Prescott Hill Academy.

“I can do it.” Eleanor stated firmly, never one to back down from a challenge. Usually it involved shots of tequila, but she was trying to apply it to other aspects of her life. Responsibility and all that. 

Standing up from his chair, Michael made his way over to the door of his office, and Eleanor quickly standing to follow. Opening the door for her, she squeezed past and before she could let out a sigh of relief, she felt his presence behind her.

Turning around, Eleanor was shocked to find that Michael was much taller than her, her head barely coming up to his shoulder.

“I’ve decided that it would be best to show you where the luncheon Tahani is hosting is, given the fact that you’ve only just arrived. We wouldn’t want you getting lost, would we?” Placing a guiding hand on the small of her back, Eleanor let him lead her down the hallway.

“So, Michael...is everyone here like Tahani?” Eleanor immediately regretted the slightly annoyed tone she had said that with, but when Michael let out a bark of laughter, she knew she wasn’t the only one.

“No, no. Not everyone is like Ms. Al-Jamil. I know she sometimes tends to rub people the wrong way. You’ll get used to her.” The reassuring smile on his face calmed Eleanor’s unease as they entered a large ballroom, with various faculty member milling around.

Guiding her over, Michael introduced her to some of the faculty that would be on her hallway, all of them with names she couldn’t even begin to remember. One guy’s name sounded like Cheeto? Despite the rush of introductions, Eleanor felt like faking her way through this wouldn’t be as hard as she thought.

Ducking out of the luncheon after the annoyingly long speech Tahani had given, Eleanor made her way to Diana’s room, knocking on the door. When Diana let her in, she smiled a little to herself.

“Hey kiddo. Did you unpack yet?” Looking around the room, she saw that Diana had. Her suitcase had disappeared from view and there was a picture sitting on the nightstand of Donna and Diana standing in front of Hooters together.

“Cool. Well, if you need me, or whatever, I’m down the hall.” Ruffling the top of her head, Eleanor turned to leave before Diana’s small voice stopped her.

“Eleanor? Thanks for getting me out of that foster home.” Diana’s eyes were focused on the floor before Eleanor crouched down and pulled her little sister into a hug. “No problem, Diana. What are sisters for? I’ll swing by to get you for dinner later.”

Standing and patting Diana’s shoulder awkwardly, Eleanor left feeling decent about herself, walking back down the hall to her room to grab some of her things and start setting up her classroom for the year.


	2. Settling In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As this is a WIP, let me know what you think! Please enjoy!

Making her way downstairs towards the direction of the classrooms, Eleanor looked down at the slip of paper in her hand, wondering how the hell she would find her way around this place when there were zero signs, and no one helped her whatsoever.

Slamming into a broad chest, Eleanor nearly landed on her ass before a firm hand caught her arm and she was pulled back on her feet. “Oh shit. Michael! I am so sorry!” Smiling sheepishly and coughing into her hand, Eleanor tried to hide her embarrassment.

“I was just trying to find my classroom and start setting up. I mean, we only have like a few days before the quarter starts, right?” Trying to reorganize the papers in her arms, she looked up to find Michael with an amused smile on his face.

“Here at Prescott Hill we have a no swearing policy. Best to remember that, Ms. Shellstrop.” Taking her arm gently, Michael began to lead her the opposite way that she was heading, passing the library and down a hall marked by a large ‘A’ above the entryway.

“You’re in A-Hall. Your classroom is next to Dr. Anagonye. He teaches history and philosophy here.” Trying to hide her snickering at how close A-Hall was to A-Hole, she was lead past rows of lockers until they came to her room.

Opening the door for her, Michael let it swing open and motioned for Eleanor to step inside first. She wasn’t quite used to such gentlemanly behavior, but it was a nice change to most of the sleaze-bag older men she had encountered.

“Cool. It’s…nice. I really like th-why is there a clown painting next to the desk?” Walking closer to inspect the painting that was hung up next to her desk, Eleanor felt like it was evil incarnate. It looked like a nightmarish version of George Washington, in her humble opinion.

Looking over her shoulder to see Michael standing there with both hands shoved into his pockets, she could almost see a twinkle of amusement behind those thick glasses of his. “Ah, that! Well, your predecessor was a fan of them. Clowns, that is. He insisted that one be left here for whoever took the position after him.”

“Uh huh. Well, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll take it down. Clowns kind of creep me out.” Reaching up and taking down the painting, she set it down to lean against the leg of her desk, making a mental reminder to burn the thing the first chance she had.

“So…um, is there a textbook for the class or something?” Wiping the dust that had gathered on her hands onto her jeans, Eleanor stole a quick glance at the bookcase in the corner of the room that was surprisingly empty.

“Or do I have to like…go to the book room that the school has and pick them up for the kids? What’s the dealio?”

Clearing his throat, Michael caught Eleanor’s attention. “The ‘deal-io’ as you put it is that we haven’t decided on which text to use on the class. We leave that up to the teacher of the course. If you want to look at what we have, you’ll need to see Janet in the school’s library. Ms. Notitia will be able to assist you in finding what you need.”

Walking out of the room, Eleanor was quick to follow him, his long legs making it hard to catch up. “Oh! Before I forget, here is your set of keys for the room.” Michael held them out for her and she held out her hand for them, palm facing up.

After placing them gently in her hand, Michael turned to lead her to the library. “Honestly, how big is this place? I’m pretty sure if I’m getting lost, Diana will go missing in a heartbeat.” Seeing his raised eyebrow, she elaborated. “My sister. Diana Tremaine. Well, Diana Shellstrop now.”

The answer seemed to satisfy his curiosity and before long they had arrived at the library. Walking in, the smell of books hit her quite hard. Most libraries in Arizona were deserts, much like the environment they were in.

“This is the school’s library. If you have students that do research or have any questions that you yourself cannot answer, you can direct them here. Janet?” Swinging away from her, Michael addressed a pretty brunette in a purple vest and floral blouse that was standing at the counter.

“Hello, Michael. What can I help you with?” Janet asked with bright, cheerful smile on her face. Eleanor wondered if this lady was a librarian or if she had been a flight attendant in a former life. Placing his hand on Eleanor’s shoulder, she was pulled closer to the desk as Michael replied. “Ms. Eleanor Shellstrop here is our new Business and Economics teacher. She needs to find a textbook for the year. Would you be able to help her?”

Giving them a thumbs up, Janet smiled enthusiastically. “Of course. Nice to meet you, Eleanor. Follow me and I’ll show you the selection that we have so you can take your pick.” Moving from behind the checkout counter, Janet led her towards the back of the library.

“She’ll take good care of you. If you could stop by my office after dinner so I can hand off your packet, I would appreciate it.”

Hesitant to follow, Eleanor nodded and hurried after Janet. Despite her heels, Janet was quick to lead her to the storage room where they kept all of the textbooks. “Students will be assigned their books and pick them up in homeroom on the first day, but most teachers want a few extra copies for the students who forget theirs in their lockers. What exactly do you want to cover this year?”

Stepping closer to the shelves, Eleanor scanned the relatively small Economics section and pulled out a light blue book that looked newer than the others. “What about this one?” She questioned.

“Excellent choice! This one covers both Micro and Macroeconomics! Will that suffice?” At Eleanor’s nod of approval, Janet pulled the rest of the textbooks off of the shelf and placed them onto a cart. “There. Your selection has been placed aside. Come back to the checkout counter with me and I can scan that one to make sure it’s registered under your name.”

Wandering after Janet, Eleanor watched from a bit away as Janet did whatever librarians do to check out books, turning her head as she heard someone walk in, wondering if Michael had come back to check on her.

It wasn’t Michael like Eleanor had initially thought. It was the Cheeto man. What was his name, anaconda?

“Oh, hey…from the luncheon thing?” Seeing that the walking sweater vest looked a little upset she had forgotten his name, he sighed.

“Chidi Anagonye. Nice to see you again, Eleanor.” Moving past her, Chidi stepped up to the desk after Eleanor was handed her textbook. “Janet? I was wondering if that copy of Moral Particularism came in from the university?”

“Hey man, look. I’m sorry I forgot your name. Things have been a little crazy. You’re in the classroom next to mine, right?” Eleanor thought it would be best to try and appease the man. Maybe she could use him for later when she needed something.

Taking the book that Janet held out to him, Chidi turned to her. “I apologize. Yes, I am in the next room. The smart boards can be a little difficult to set up, so if you need help just let me know.” Giving her a smile, he made his way past her.

What an odd little sweater vest man. Eleanor shrugged off the thought of Chidi and turned her attention back to Janet. “Thanks babe. See ya around.” Making her way back to her classroom, Eleanor pulled out some cleaning supplies and dusted down everything and booted up the computer that was on her desk.

Later in the day, her stomach growled loudly enough to distract her from the note she was making in the textbook. Pulling her phone out, Eleanor quickly realized she had promised Diana that she would go to dinner with her.

Shoving her things into her bag, Eleanor ran up the stairs, out of breath by the time she got to Diana’s door. Knocking, she was relieved to see that the kid didn’t look mad or anything. “Hey! Sorry I’m a little late! I was in my classroom. Let’s go eat!”

Walking together back down the stairs, Eleanor wondered how the hell she was going to make it throughout the day if she had to constantly go up and down the stairs. Even when she went to Arizona State, she made sure to take the elevator.

Walking into the cafeteria, they both got trays before sitting down next to each other. “So, have you met any of the other kids yet?” Eleanor hated small talk, but she was at least making an effort with the twerp.

“No. Not yet. I think tomorrow they have some activities planned for the new students. I think some of the other 5th graders are already here.”

Chewing thoughtfully, Eleanor looked up as a shadow blocked out the ugly yellow fluorescent light and she looked a bit surprised when she saw Chidi standing there.

“Oh. Hey Chidi. Wanna sit?” She asked motioning to the bench across from them, surprised by her own kindness.

“Thanks, Eleanor. Who’s this?” Seeing genuine interest in his face, Eleanor decided to oblige him with an actual answer rather than the fake story that Diana was her kid. That always scared guys off.

“Diana, my little sister. Diana, this is Chidi Ana-Kendrick?”

“Anagonye. Hello Diana, nice to meet you.” He said, correcting Eleanor yet again. To give herself credit, at least she remembered his first name.

Chidi sat with them throughout dinner and made idle chit chat, to which Eleanor gave clipped responses while Diana on the other hand spoke adamantly with the man, who happened to be her teacher for the year. Apparently, Chidi taught history to the middle school aged children and philosophy to the high schoolers.

Once dinner was over, Chidi bid the girls goodbye and left. “He’s not so bad. He’s a nerd, though.” Laughing at Diana’s comment, Eleanor nodded. “You got that right, chickee. Can you head up by yourself? I have to stop at the Dean’s office.”

“I’m 10. I’m not a baby.” Diana stated firmly, walking upstairs by herself.

Eleanor let out a deep sigh, knowing that her and Diana had a ways to go before resembling a family. Turning to head to Michael’s office for their meeting, she wondered to herself if the choice to take on the role of a parent was one she was even remotely prepared for.


	3. Talk Fast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and let me know what you think!

Sitting in Michael’s office, Eleanor studied one of the pictures on his desk. It was a black and white photo of a young man with a dog that seemed to be in a Halloween costume that made it resemble a spider. With ten heads. Weird.

Noticing her attention, Michael smiled fondly. “Ah! That was Korzoff, my pet as a child.” Chuckling to himself, Michael continued to study the picture for a moment before clearing his throat and addressing Eleanor.

“Now, the reason I asked you to see me after dinner.” Opening his desk drawer and rummaging through it for a moment, Michael pulled out a packet with the school’s logo on the front. “This is so that you know the rules that we have here at Prescott Hill Academy, including no foul language and the dress code, amongst others.”

Handing her the packet from across the desk, Eleanor opened it and skimmed through some of the papers provided, her vision swimming with all the information she would have to review tonight.

“We understand that there will be an adjustment period for you, Eleanor, but we also expect you to fall into line quickly.”

Raising her head up from the packet, Eleanor plastered on a smile. “No problem, chief.” Standing to leave, she turned back around when Michael cleared his throat.

“If you have any questions about your new position, my office door is always open. Make yourself at home here.” Giving her a smile that unsettled her a bit, she nodded before walking out of the door, shutting it behind her.

 

The fall quarter finally began with a flurry of activity and Eleanor stayed up most nights making sure she had a handle on the material. Most of the kids in her class were total stuck up brats, but she had a few that she knew didn’t come from a rich background.

Those students asked important questions, turned in their work more often than not, and seemed to do their best more than their peers. She understood that position better than most.

After emancipating herself from her parents, Eleanor worked hard to graduate high school and get into Arizona State University.

Of course, once at Arizona State University, there was a hiccup at the financial aid office that ended with her father getting into it about payments.

The ones that didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in their mouth and grew up with sporks like she had were the students she found herself rooting for the most. A month into school, Eleanor was eating lunch at her desk when there was a knock on her door.

Sticking his head in, Eleanor momentarily forgot the man’s name before it came to her. “Chidi! What’s up, dude?”

“Hello, Eleanor. I was just wondering if you would like to join the rest of the staff in the teacher’s lounge for lunch?” Raising up his lunch box, Eleanor almost snorted in derision at his question, but paused. To sell the whole masquerade that she was a caring teacher, she’d have to make work-proximity associates.

Putting her sandwich into her paper bag, she followed Chidi down the hall. “Thanks for the invite. I haven’t really gotten to talk to the other teachers, except for that Janice lady in the Library.”

“Her name is Janet. Yeah, we don’t really see you around except for faculty meetings or in the hallway. Although I do believe Jason mentioned he saw you in town at a bar.”

“Sounds about right.” Walking into the teacher’s lounge, Chidi led her over to a table that was already occupied by Janet, that annoying giraffe whose name sounded like a sauce, and some hot guy in sweats.

“You remember Janet Notitia and Tahani Al-Jamil, right? This is Jason Mendoza.” Leaning over the table, Eleanor shook everyone’s hand, trying to remain professional. What was with this school and having hot teachers?

Placing her paper bag on the desk, Eleanor pulled out her sandwich again and took a bite, eyes wandering around the room she hardly ever came into except to get some more coffee.

“So where are you from, Eleanor?” Looking to her left, Eleanor quickly swallowed the bite of PB&J that was stuck on the roof of her mouth to address Janet.

“I’m from Tempe, Arizona.” Seeing Jason’s confused look, Janet leaned over and quietly explained that the city was near Phoenix.

Taking another bite of her sandwich, Eleanor had hardly started chewing before the ridiculous giraffe spoke to her, looking prim and proper with a fancy lunch on the tray in front of her. A silver tray, to be more specific.

“Fascinating! You know, there’s a lovely spa near there where they do these wonderful clay masks. What brought you to Prescott?”

Swallowing the lob of food in her mouth, Eleanor flashed a closed lipped smile in Tahani’s direction before deciding she had to answer. “I’m here because of my little sister.”

Not wanting to elaborate further with these people, Eleanor continued to chew on her food, noticing the mood at the table shifted from curious to tense. Ignoring it, Eleanor was so busy finishing her pudding cup that she failed to notice the presence behind her.

“Hello, everyone! I hate to interrupt you all during lunch, but I need to speak with Ms. Shellstrop.”

Jumping at the voice, Eleanor turned around to see that Michael was towering behind her.

Gathering the rest of her food, Eleanor stood, silently worried that Michael had seen through the lies on her resume. Throwing her trash into the bin by the door, Eleanor wrung her hands in front of her, the deafening sound of the clacking of heels on marble floors only adding to her worry.

“Am…am I in trouble, Michael?” She asked in confusion once she had sat down in his office. Watching him shuffle his papers on his desk, her mouth tilted into a frown when he chuckled. “What is so funny?” 

Waving his hand, as if to brush off her anger and unease, Michael leaned back in his chair. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh at you, Eleanor. You’re not in trouble. I just wanted to see how you’ve been acclimating to Prescott.”

Michael was giving Eleanor that warm smile that made her stomach flutter in the most uncomfortable way.

“I um…yeah. I mean-yeah. Yeah. It’s been an adjustment. The whole being like an RA for kids thing is interesting, to say the least.” Looking the tall man up and down, she realized he was studying her intently.

“Not to say I don’t appreciate this…opportunity.” Eleanor said hastily, trying to make it seem like she was still actually nice when in reality she knew nothing about kids and how to handle them.

“Not to worry, you’re not being judged.” He said with a twinkle in his eye. “I can understand how difficult young people can be at times.” Michael made a face that suggested to her that he wasn’t _that_ big of a fan of the students. “Hormones are the worst.” 

Shaking his head and sitting back up, Michael placed his hands of the desk, turning to face her fully. “I was actually wondering why you hadn’t been participating in the activities outside of the classroom.”

“Activities? You mean the stuff on all the banners around school?” She asked, wrinkling her nose at the thought of doing extra activities when she could be binge watching _The Real Housewives of Atlanta_.

“Yes, Eleanor. We were hoping that you would become a more active participant in the school on your own, but it has been brought to my attention that today was the first day you’ve even had lunch with the other faculty members.”

Biting her lip, Eleanor knew it was time to swallow a bit of her pride. “Yeah, okay I get it. I mean I know I’m not as involved as Tahani or whatever, but I’ll try.” Nodding at her, Michael clasped his hands together in excitement.

“Great! So, you’ll be participating in Field Day next week! And of course, there’s the faculty dodgeball tournament, the Tug-of-War between departments, and of course the various other carnival activities.” Michael began pulling colorful pieces of paper out of his desk, all with various events on them.

Closing her mouth in shock, Eleanor took some of the papers and read over them. Laughing quietly, she shook her head.

“As much fun as this seems,” pausing to hand back the sheets of paper to Michael, Eleanor refrained from outright laughing at the man, “I’m not sure that I’ll be any good at these events.” Giving her a thoughtful look, Michael took off his glasses for a moment.

“It’s not about being good at these events. It’s about being there for the students and allowing them to have a fun day of activities when so many of them have families that don’t care very much about them to do anything of this nature.” Looking at her with a pointed expression, Eleanor felt something inside of herself twist a bit.

Sighing and nodding her head in agreement, Eleanor knew that it was probably for the best. “Alright. I’m in. But don’t expect me to sit there and get my face painted.”

The keen look on Michael’s face told her otherwise.


	4. Duck Faster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and let me know what you think!

Sitting on the cold metal seat on the school’s campus lawn, Eleanor knew that Michael would absolutely pay for making her sit here and get her face painted by Tahani. No matter how good she smelled being this close to her. 

Glancing over Tahani’s shoulder, Eleanor spotted Michael mingling with some of the faculty at the booths across the way. “So, does Michael do this every year?” She asked as Tahani was putting on the finishing touches to Eleanor’s face paint.

Speak of the devil, she gave a pained grin as Michael approached her. “Mr. Dämon! You’re up next to get your face painted, right?” She asked, giving him a pointed look. His chortle made her frown.

“Oh no, no. I won’t be participating.” Waving as he left, Eleanor resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“All done!”

The exclamation made her sigh in relief as Tahani held the mirror up to show her. One side of her face was done up like an angel with wings near her eye while the other side resembled a devil’s face, horns included. 

“What do you think?!” Tahani looked at her expectantly.

“It’s actually really good, Tahani. Thanks, hot stuff.” Giving Tahani a genuine smile, Eleanor stoop and began walking around to look at the various booths set up by the faculty and even some of the less absentee parents that had been notified of the Field Day.

“Eleanor! Wait up!” Stopping and turning around at the voice, Eleanor smiled as Diana ran up to her, Chidi following her.

“Hey, rugrat. Hey Ch-Mr. Anagonye.” Eleanor cleared her throat, remembering that they had to keep professional with all the children, teachers, and parents around at the event.

“You remembered! Nice face paint. Diana here was just looking for you.” Giving her a smile, she noticed that instead of his usual sweater vests and suits, Chidi was wearing a t-shirt. The nerd was surprisingly jacked.

Looking down at Diana, Eleanor smirked as she saw the young girl had gotten zombie face paint. “Nice, you little monster. So, have you played any of these games yet?” Eleanor motioned to the ring toss and various other carnival games that surrounded them.

“Not yet. Do you wanna play some together?” Diana’s hopeful look was all it took for Eleanor to agree.

Chidi bid them goodbye and after a few games, they found themselves waiting in line to sing karaoke, to which Diana was insisting she wouldn’t participate in.

“Mind if I join you?” The deep rumble on her left made her smile. “Mr. Dämon? Sure. Are you up for karaoke?” She asked him.

Shrugging and shoving his hands in his pockets, Eleanor noticed he wasn’t wearing his suit coat or his bow tie, but simply had on a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. “I’ve never done karaoke.”

“You’ve gotta do it with Eleanor! She rocks at it!” Diana’s insisted, bouncing with excitement.

“Yeah, come on, chief. I’m really good at it.” Winking at him, Eleanor chose the song, “Cool Kids” by Echosmith, and performed for the children, who seemed very amused. The cheers at the end made Eleanor feel a bit less embarrassed.

“Wow! That was so interesting…thank you, Ms. Shellstrop, for letting me join you.” His bright and genuine smile made Eleanor smile as well. “No problem, Mr. Dämon.”

“I’ll see you at the dodgeball tournament!” He said with excitement, walking away before Eleanor could state firmly that she wasn’t going to be playing dodgeball.

After Diana left with some new friends she had made, Eleanor resigned to walking around before someone grabbed her by the crook of her arm and shoved her into a line with Janet, Jason, and Chidi.

“Okay, what the fu-fork, man?” Shooting a glare, Eleanor realized that they were playing Tug-of-War against some of the other faculty members. “Yeah, no. I’m not doing this.” About to hand off the rope to someone else, Eleanor noticed that Michael was watching.

Sighing, Eleanor walked over and got in line with the others, noticing the school nurse, Vicky, giving her a displeased expression on the opposing end of the rope.

If there was something Eleanor knew how to do, it was to upset someone out of spite and pettiness.

Vicky and Eleanor had a run in previously and Vicky had made it clear that she was interested in Chidi and warned Eleanor not to get attached, as if Eleanor actually cared, but the audacity made her dislike the woman.

“Let’s kick ash.” Jason looked confused for a moment, but Tahani stepped forward to start the competition off. 

“Marvelous! Is everyone ready?” Tahani rang a little hand-held bell and both teams began to pull against the other.

Eleanor bared her teeth in anger as her feet slid against the grass, her vans hardly the type of shoe for this type of competition.

The rope was burning her hands and the heat of the sun made sweat gather at her temples. “Come on!” She yelled at the others as they slowly began to be pulled towards the line that had been painted on the ground.

Seeing that Trevor was on the other team made Eleanor even angrier. The guy was a total douche to her, spilling coffee on her last week and claiming that it had been an accident.

Realizing no one else would take the lead, Eleanor started yelling ‘pull’ in a cadence for the others.

“Come on, Chidi! Pull!”

“I am!” The angry yell came from behind her.

Eleanor’s arms were straining, and the rope was biting into her fingers. Yelling loudly for everyone to pull one last time, Eleanor tugged as hard as she could.

Yanking back on the rope, there was a break in the tension and Eleanor went flying back into Chidi’s chest, the rest of the group toppling backwards into the grass and dirt.

Lifting her head up with a groan of pain, Eleanor realized that Vicky had slipped and been flung forward, grass in her hair and dirt on her face.

Laughing as she stood up, the group celebrated with high fives for beating the others, a smug smile on Eleanor’s face as the children cheered with glee.

Jason had picked up Janet in his excitement, to which the librarian looked perfectly happy about. “Oh dip! Sorry Janet!” Setting her down, Jason continued to celebrate their victory by high fiving all of the children that had gathered around to watch.

“Bravo! Wonderful!” Clapping and cheering for them in that snooty way of hers, Tahani made her way over, careful to keep her sun dress spotless.

“Oh, Eleanor! It seems you’ve scratched yourself!” Tahani pointed out that she had scraped her elbows and her hands looked a bit worse for wear.

Giving a cheeky smile, Eleanor shrugged it off. “I don’t think that the nurse will be up to this one. I’ve got it.”

Eleanor sneered in Vicky’s direction and went to go take care of her scrapes, but not before being pulled into a celebratory hug by Jason and being given a high five by Janet.

Wiping the dirt off of herself, Eleanor was stopped short by Chidi. “I’m sorry for yelling at you during the competition.”

Rolling her eyes, Eleanor smirked. “Dude, it’s Tug-of-War. It didn’t matter. No worries!” Reassuring him, she patted his arm, surprised by the solid muscle underneath before going to grab some lemonade from a nearby table.

“Well done, Eleanor.” The whisper in her ear made Eleanor jump, but after turning around, she found Michael smiling at her. “Oh! Hey! Thanks. Although I probably should have put on some sneakers instead of my vans. Did you see Vicky hit the dirt?” Snickering at the thought, Eleanor cleared her throat, expecting disapproval from the Dean, but his response was surprising to say the least.

Giggling with glee, Michael nodded. “I saw. That was very amusing.” It seemed the Dean had a bit of a mean streak in him.

“Well, hopefully you will continue your victorious streak during the dodgeball tournament in the next hour. Every faculty member is expected to be there.” He stated firmly, leaving no room for debate.

“Dodgeball? No way! Hey, get back here!”

 

Standing on one side of the school’s gymnasium, Eleanor pulled her hair back so that it was half up, half down. “I did not sign up for this when I was told I got hired.” She groused to herself, which Janet overheard.

“Don’t worry! Once Michael and Shawn pick teams, it goes by quickly.” Janet said reassuringly, or what she probably thought was reassuring.

 _Michael and Shawn are picking the teams?!_ The thought made her skin break out into goosebumps, which she dismissed as a reaction to the A/C in the gym.

Standing amongst the other faculty members, Eleanor watched as Michael and another man, whose severe expression led her to believe that the man was Shawn, began picking their teams.

One after another, names were called until Eleanor heard her name from Michael. With a grin, she walked over to her team which, surprisingly, had her former Tug-of-War teammates on it. 

“Hey guys. Ready to kick some butt?” She asked, albeit a bit nervous once she saw the looks on the faces of the other teachers.

“What’s their deal?” Eleanor turned to ask, pointing her shoulder over at the people scowling.

“Yo they’re just mad because we beat them for three years in a row, dawg. Don’t sweat it. Aw, dip! They’ve got Chris!” Jason exclaimed sadly, pointing at a very handsome and ripped man.

From what Eleanor could remember, Chris Baker was the football, basketball, weightlifting, and baseball coach at the school.

And the only reason Eleanor could remember that was because he had introduced himself while they were grabbing their mail at the front office together. Mail and hot men. Yum.

The anticipatory silence of the gymnasium made Eleanor nervous, her heart starting to speed up.

With her back pressed against the wall, Eleanor waited for the whistle to blow, her palms becoming sweaty. The whistle rang out and Eleanor propelled herself off the wall towards center court.

With a squeak she grabbed one of the dodgeballs, the good old-fashioned rubber kind instead of the foam ones, and quickly retreated away from the middle of the court, jumping out of the way as one of the balls came flying at her ankles.

It seemed Vicky wasn’t too happy about what happened earlier.

The gymnasium was a cacophony of cheers from the students sitting on the bleachers and squeaking sneakers of the teachers moving across the court.

Ducking as the teams began lobbing dodgeballs back and forth, Eleanor couldn’t help but laugh as Chidi yelled in anguish as two of the balls smacked him in the arm and chest, the sound probably worse than the hit. Probably.

While Eleanor was distracted by Chidi’s misfortune, she hardly noticed Trevor cock his arm back, launching the ball directly towards her face. The resonating plunk of rubber colliding with skin broke her out it.

Standing in front of her was Michael, who had just caught the dodgeball that Trevor had been aiming at her face.

With a breathless “Thanks!”, Michael handed her the ball he had caught and quickly picked up another, chucking it at Glenn, who was smacked soundly in his chest.

“No face shots! You know the rules, Trevor!” Michael growled as the two ducked and bobbed amidst the chaos.

Shawn, who seemed to be leading the other team, looked like this rule was boring him too much and lobbed another ball at Jason, who took it like a champ to the hip and went over to sit with Chidi and Janet on the sidelines.

Eleanor decided it was best to stick next to Michael, who was surprisingly agile for a silver fox.

Dashing to the edge of the court, Eleanor grabbed two dodgeballs and hauled ass back to Michael, handing him one while she lobbed one at Chris, whooping in joy as it bounced off of his leg.

“I think we might win this, Michael! But you’re going to have to go after Shawn or duck faster tha- “

The last things Eleanor remembered before everything went dark were the resounding **smack** of a dodgeball against her head and someone yelling her name.


	5. Rise and Shine, Dingus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad that its been nearly a month, but I hope you enjoy. Again, a giant thank you my beta Myx. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and let me know what you think!

The throbbing of her skull was the first thing Eleanor noticed when her eyes opened up to find the fluorescent lights of the gym were being blocked. The second thing was who was blocking those lights.

“Eleanor? Can you hear me?” Waving his hand in front of her face, Michael seemed to be very concerned, his frown lines extremely deep.

“I can hear you just fine, dude. Oh man, my head hurts. Who threw that?” Sitting up slowly, Eleanor turned to look at Trevor, who had the audacity to look guilty.

“Seriously man, what’s your problem?!” As Eleanor was about ready to stand up and settle things the Shellstrop way, she was held down by a firm hand on her shoulder. Michael.

“You’re going to stay put until Vicky takes a look at you.” Eleanor knocked his hand off of her shoulder, even though she felt bad when he gave her a somewhat hurt expression.

“Seriously, I’m fine. I’ve had concussions before and this doesn’t feel like it. Who won?” Standing, despite Michael’s protests, Eleanor rubbed the goose egg that was forming on her head.

“We stopped the game as soon as you collapsed.” Janet’s helpful voice came from nearby and Eleanor nodded, trying to stop her vision from swimming.

She wasn’t lying when she said that she had concussions before. But, she was firmly lying when she said that she didn’t have one now. She couldn’t just let those jerks win.

The scowl on Michael’s face told her that she wasn’t fooling him, but it would ultimately be Eleanor’s call, which he didn’t seem to like one bit. _Control freak, much?_

“I can do this, Michael.” Standing up and locking eyes with his, Eleanor felt her chances of winning slipping through her fingertips before Michael broke her gaze and sighed deeply.

“Fine. It seems we have a game to finish. Come on, Shellstrop.” Grabbing her arm, Michael led her back to the center of the basketball court.

Stopping for a moment to speak to her, Eleanor shivered at his breath tickling her ear.

“Stick next to me, Eleanor.”

“Yes sir.” Eleanor quiped with a grin. Michael gave her a surprised look before it morphs into a sharp grin.

Returning her focus back to the court, Eleanor’s back was pressed against the wall, the whistle just barely noticeable over the din of students roaring their approval.

Using her small size to her advantage, Eleanor dashed forward and grabbed two balls from the center line, tossing one to Michael before returning to his side.

Michael’s face upon her return tells her he isn’t pleased. “I said stay next to me, Shellstrop! Or do you like disobeying my orders?”

Eleanor bites her tongue, knowing her smart aleck comment would surely get her in trouble. From across the court, Shawn had already zeroed in on her, the cold gleam in his eyes making her skin crawl.

“Michael, 3 o’clock!” Eleanor points to Trevor who had his arm raised to throw his dodgeball directly at him.

Quickly lobbing her ball at him, she throws her arms up as she lands a hit directly in the center of his chest. Now it was just the two of them against Shawn.

Hurling dodgeballs back and forth, it seemed that Shawn was taunting them, moving out of the way at the last millisecond, and soon they only had one last ball as ammunition.

Handing off her ball to Michael, Eleanor made a split decision. “Here, big guy. Get that asshole.”

Darting forward to grab a ball that was teetering on the half court line, Shawn’s attention immediately went to her. Hands poised above the ball, she lifts her head up and sees a ball flying directly at her, but not before she sees Shawn get hit with a dodgeball squarely on his chest.

The ball that was flying towards Eleanor hit her in the chest and Eleanor falls back, the wind knocked out of her lungs.

Sitting up, the children on the bleachers roar with their approval, and she spots Diana cheering for her. The sight fills her with pride.

A hand blocks her view of her little sister, and Eleanor graciously accepts it, pulled to her feet by Michael.

“Before you say anything, I did that so that we could win.” His scrutinizing look makes her uncomfortable because it almost feels like Michael can see right through her.

Jason runs up to them first and gives them a giant hug. “We won homies! Jaguars rule!” He yells in excitement, and despite the noise making her head ring, Eleanor’s face splits into a grin 

Sitting on the bleachers later on, Eleanor rubs at her temples, willing the headache forming to go away so she can get back to the Field Day activities.

Normally, she would be appalled that she wanted to spend time with small children and coworkers, but anything was better than this. It was like a hangover without all the fun of drinking.

A cold nudge against her shoulder makes her open her eyes to see Michael standing there with an ice bag. “Take it before I drop it on that goose egg of yours.” He says gruffly.

Rolling her eyes, Eleanor takes the ice bag from him and places it gingerly on the bump, sucking in a breath between her teeth as the cold meets her sensitive skin. “Thanks.”

The bleacher bench moves a bit as he sits down next to her. “Good job out there, Eleanor. Hopefully next year you won’t have a concussion.” Michael cuts her off before she can protest. “And before you say you don’t have one, your pupils are huge, and you have a headache based upon the fact you’re rubbing your head.”

Pausing for a moment, Eleanor concedes and nods her head. “Yeah, but it's probably only a mild one. I’ve had a few bad ones before, so I should be okay.” Before Michael can ask her to elaborate, the two are interrupted.

“Eleanor!” The shout makes her wince and so does the impact of a small body colliding with her side, but the warm hug she receives from Diana makes her smile. “Hey, you little monster. Where have you been?”

“Mr. Anagonye was getting me an ice cream, but he couldn’t decide on what flavor he wanted.” Diana says with an annoyed frown on her face. The game had ended nearly forty-five minutes ago, and to picture Diana waiting while the walking sweater vest tried to pick an ice cream flavor made her snort in amusement.

Michael stands, and placing his hand on her shoulder, and gives it a squeeze. “If you start feeling worse, come find me. That’s an order.”

With a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, Eleanor looks up at him. “We all know how bad I am at following orders…but I guess this time I’ll listen. Thanks again, Mr. Dämon.”

Watching the tall man walk away, Eleanor turns her attention back to Diana, who was enthusiastically regaling her with the highlights of the day’s events. _I guess that wasn’t so bad, considering I really didn’t want anything to do with it in the first place._

 

Field Day came and went, the students still buzzing about the prizes they won and the events the faculty members participated in. Funny enough, socializing with her coworkers led to a more enjoyable work environment. _Who would have thought? ___

____

____

The final bell rang in Eleanor’s last class of the day just as she finished explaining the difference between tangible and intangible assets.

“Don’t forget people, Chapter 5! Read it!” She yelled after her students who were rushing out of the class, as anyone would on Friday afternoon. Turning her back to the door, she erased the board, stopping as she heard someone clear their throat to get her attention.

Standing in the doorway to her classroom was Michael, looking very Sam the Eagle-esque in a blue suit and thin tie. “Mr. Dämon. What can I do for you?” Brushing her hands on her dress, Eleanor immediately became very self-aware of how ridiculous she probably looked.

This morning when she had woken up, she realized she had run out of her daily contacts and had to resort to her back up glasses that she had technically stolen from a LensCrafters. Eleanor thought that the cat eye frames made her look nerdy, but not in a hot way. 

It didn’t help that it was only two days after the dodgeball game and Eleanor was still experiencing headaches throughout the day.

Taking a moment to study her, Michael gave her a bright smile. “Well, Ms. Shellstrop, I was wondering if you could be of some assistance to me. Come with me.” He said, giving her only a moment for her to lock her classroom before his long legs carried him away from her at a speed her short frame couldn’t quite match.

Once in his office, Eleanor sat down in the chair in front of his desk, smoothing down her dress. As soon as Michael had sat down behind the massive mahogany desk, one of her least favorite teachers decided at that moment to waltz in, as if he owned the place.

“Ah, Trevor! So glad you could **finally** join us. I hope you didn’t keep your Calculus class late on a Friday afternoon?” Michael asked as Trevor plopped down in the chair next to Eleanor, entirely too close for her taste.

“I gave them a pop quiz. Well, more like a pop test. They’ve had it too easy all week.” Trevor said as he looked over at Eleanor with a sadistic grin. “I hear you go easy on your kids.”

“Why am I here, Michael?” Eleanor asked impatiently, turning to the Dean who was leaning back with his hands behind his head, watching the exchange.

“Trevor here is in charge of the boys’ lacrosse team while Vicky is in charge of the girl’s team. He and Vicky both were hoping that you would assist in scheduling.” The small smile on his face made Eleanor almost think he was taking pleasure in her misery.

“I appreciate the offer, but I already have plans.” Flashing them a bright smile that was mostly teeth and not at all genuine, Eleanor sat back in her chair.

“This isn’t really an offer, Eleanor. Last year we tried having Chidi help with scheduling and both teams never played a single game because he couldn’t decide on the days. Besides, I was hoping you would take an interest given that Diana is interested in the girl’s junior team.”

The instant guilt that Eleanor felt for not knowing that Diana wanted to play lacrosse sat heavy in her stomach. “Yeah, okay, I’ll help.” The limited enthusiasm she had made Trevor chuckle. As Eleanor was standing up to leave, she watches as Trevor files out of Michael’s office first.

Staying behind for a moment, Eleanor looks at Michael, who seemed curious as to why Eleanor had stayed behind in his office.

“You do remember that he gave me a concussion at the faculty dodgeball game, right? I’m not sure I feel so good about working with him, Michael.” She tried to ignore the fact that she was still having semi frequent headaches, even though it had been two days later.

Eleanor had dealt with plenty of sleaze balls before, she was one herself, but there was something about Trevor that just rubbed her the wrong way.

Michael considered her statement for a moment. “Well, this wouldn’t have you interacting with Trevor all that much, just to sit and plan out the season. Did he do something other than how he behaved at the game?” Sitting up, Michael suddenly seemed very concerned.

“No, we’ve just had previous run-ins and he’s just been a jerk every time. Its fine, I’ll handle it. Have a good weekend, Mr. Dämon.” Making her exit before Michael could respond, Eleanor made her way down the hall before bumping into Janet.

“Oh! Hey, Janet. Sorry about that.” Janet didn’t seem to think anything of it, and greets Eleanor with a cheerful smile. “Not to worry! I was actually looking for you! Some of the other faculty members are going into town for drinks, and since you usually aren’t in the teacher’s lounge to have been invited, earlier today I came to find you.”

Taking a moment to consider her options, Eleanor thought it might be a good idea to get drunk, especially since Diana had told her she was hanging out with some of her classmates this weekend. “Fine. But I’m not DD-ing or anything. What time are we meeting up?”


	6. Everything is Not Great!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys...so...it has certainly been a hot minute since I've updated, and I apologize greatly. I'm trying to finish school and I assure you now that I've officially stopped caring, the following updates won't be several months apart. Thank you to those who have stuck it out and I hope that you enjoy!

Making her way downstairs, Eleanor was glad she had learned the back exits to the school because how she was dressed right now would certainly change her students' minds about her being a good person.

Pushing open the door, Eleanor made her way to the group of faculty members waiting by a few cars, passing by an old 1960s Chevy Camaro that just screamed power. She was somewhat sad that it didn't belong to anyone going out tonight. 

Walking up to the group of teachers gathered by a few cars, Eleanor paused for a moment.

It was funny because if Eleanor thought that her outfit was hot, Janet had her beat. And perhaps a bit turned on.

"Damn Janet, you look amazing!" 

The librarian turned around, her hourglass figure on display in a peach-pink dress that clung to her curves like a second skin.

"Thank you, Eleanor! I'm just glad that we're all going out together." The brunette's eyes wandered over to Jason, chatting with Chidi and Tahani.

Eleanor held back from commenting and whistled to get everyone's attention. "Alright people! Let's get this show on the road." 

Arriving at the bar, Eleanor immediately flagged down the bartender, gave him her card, and bought a round of shots for the group and water for those who were driving. _Better you than me._

Bringing the drinks back to the group who had settled into one of the larger booths in the corner, Eleanor slid in next to Janet and Jason, divvying out the liquor. "Cheers, to the freakin' weekend!" She said, and the group chorused it after her.

Eleanor winced as she knocked her drink back, glad to finally have a moment to relax.

With the whole faculty dodgeball tournament and trying to settle into a routine at Prescott Hill, it was incredibly hard for her to find a moment of peace. And of course, drinking was her version of finding peace.

"Janet, come on, you're with me. We're dancing, babe." Taking the librarian's arm, Eleanor dragged both of them out onto the dance floor, where they were playing some raunchy rap song about hoes and money. _Her favorite kind of song._

As the night continued, so did her drinking. Eleanor Shellstrop was not the type of person to quit while she was ahead.

Much less was she the type of person to plain old quit. Especially when Jason challenged her to play pool.

The poor little Florida DJ was about to get hustled by an Arizona dirtbag. 

Unsurprisingly, Jason was not at all qualified to play regular pool. Especially when he complained that Eleanor's version of pool wasn't anything like Jacksonville style pool. Whatever that was.

Two games and $50 later, Eleanor decided it was time to call it for playing pool. There was no need to bankrupt her coworker.

Not yet, anyway. There was always next time with the dopey gym teacher.

Nodding along absentmindedly as Jason prattled on about his best friend from Florida named Pillboi, Eleanor noticed how Chidi, Tahani, and Janet had put on their coats.

"Eleanor, I'm not feeling well. I have a stomach ache. Tahani and I are going to head back." Chidi said half bent over while Tahani stood next to him rubbing the poor nerd's back. 

"Oh dip, that sucks man. Is it ok if we hitch a ride back with you? Since you're leaving, Janet and I want to try to have se- "Jason was quickly cut off by a frantic looking Janet.

”We want to try calling it early this time. Eleanor, will you be alright getting home by yourself?" 

Anger seared the pit of Eleanor's stomach, but she plastered on the classic fake smile that she used when she had to deal with dumbasses.

"Oh, so you guys are just gonna leave? Fine, **go**. I'll get a cab. Have fun." Her snappy response was met with offended looks but that didn't matter as much as the tequila that was calling her name behind the bar. _Who needs them?_

"Eleanor, don't lash out at us, please. We just think that it would be better to go back. You're more than welcome to pile in with us." Chidi said, but despite the diplomatic intentions of his statement, it only made Eleanor furious.

"Lash out?! Look, I'm staying. You guys leave. I can take care of myself. I'll see you Monday."

Closing time came sooner than she had hoped for, and of course, the little town's cabs weren't running anymore. Which was bullshit, given they didn't even know what a terrible passenger she was yet. 

Eleanor made a hasty decision as the bartender looked at her with an impatient frown, fumbling with her phone and tapping on the screen to call the only person she could think would come to get her.

Anxiety began bubbling in her gut as the phone kept ringing. And ringing. When the call finally went through, she held her breath in anticipation.

"Eleanor?" The raspy voice on the other end made Eleanor shiver. She had woken him up, it seems.

"Michael? I need you to come to get me. I'm at the bar and I don't have a ride home. I didn't know who else to call." 

The pause on the other end made her question if he hung up on her. She certainly would have. 

"I'm on my way. Stay put." Michael's firm answer made her grin goofily and sneer at the bartender who seemed far too disappointed that he didn't get to throw Eleanor out.

Setting her forehead against the cold and slightly sticky bar top, she waited for him to show up. 

Slumped against the bar, Eleanor's head was swimming when she felt a large hand on her shoulder. About to tell the dumbass off, saying she already had a ride, she realized that it was Michael. He had actually come to pick her up.

"Michael…you actually came!" She said with a dopey grin, looking him up and down. "Has anyone ever told you-you're really pretty? Like really pretty. You've got that face and those eyes." Hiccupping drunkenly, Eleanor placed her hand on his forearm. 

Standing in front of her wasn’t the Dean she had met previously. Wearing a black leather jacket and jeans, Michael almost looked like he rode a motorcycle.

Eleanor secretly wished he did.

Michael seemed taken back by the compliment but didn't say a word as he helped her off the bar stool and outside to his vehicle.

A 1969 Chevy Camaro. Black. Downright **sinful.**

Which just happened to be the Camaro she had seen in the faculty parking lot earlier. _Figures._

Eleanor climbed into the passenger seat with Michael's help, closing her eyes to control her rolling stomach. Taking a deep breath through her nose, Eleanor looked over as Michael got in, still quiet. 

"Look, man, I'm sorry that I called you, but everyone else left and I couldn't remember who was sober. And the cabs in this town suck." She muttered, folding her arms and pouting like she was being scolded.

Silence was the only thing that greeted her. Looking over, the flashes of the street lamps illuminated Michael's face repeatedly, rhythmically, in a way that was downright hypnotic.

While he was focused on the road ahead of them, Eleanor took a moment to appreciate the man driving the sexy beast of a car rumbling underneath her. 

Strong jaw. High cheekbones. Aristocratic nose. And those eyes…eyes that seemed to almost **glow** when they were illuminated by the street lamps. Eleanor realized suddenly that he wasn't wearing his glasses. 

"You're not wearing your glasses. Can you even see?" She blurted out suddenly.

When Michael finally turned to answer her, the look on his face made her shrink back into the seat, a drunk hiccup escaping out of her. 

"Why did you call me Eleanor? Of all the faculty that you know, or other people in your life that you know, how come you called me to come to get you tonight?" His deep rumbling voice tipped at the edge of a growl and while Eleanor felt a bit of apprehension answering his question, she had to admit that it turned her on too. 

"Because I trust you. And I knew that you would come to get me. I didn't think anyone else would." Her honest admission made her inner asshole reel for a moment with the fact she had taken a brief recess from being a world class liar. 

Closing her eyes, Eleanor focused on the rumble of the engine underneath her. 

"Alright." Michael's response jarred her out of her train of thought. "We're almost back to Prescott Hill. Just…sit tight." 

Time seemed to ooze along as the rest of the ride to the school remained silent. Eleanor was just fine with this since her brain was in no state to hold a decent conversation, and she had tequila to thank for that. And wine. 

Parking the car, Michael got out first and opened the passenger door for her. Taking his hand, Eleanor stepped out of the vehicle but stumbled on the pavement and collided with Michael's chest.

The first thing Eleanor noticed was his scent. Leather from his jacket and something unique to Michael. The second thing she noticed was his hands. Strong. And anchored on her waist.

Despite the fact that her heels had failed to support her properly, it seemed that Michael was more than prepared for that.

"Easy now. Can't have you hurting yourself. Hold on to my arm." Michael's firm tone left little room for Eleanor to argue. Neither did her wobbly legs and blurry vision. Curse those last few shots.

Letting him guide her into the side door, Eleanor nearly screamed in frustration when she realized they would have to walk up multiple flights of stairs. Stairs. Her mortal enemy, whether she was sober or intoxicated. 

"Stairs are evil. What kind of monster would build a place like this with so many stairs?" In the midst of her griping about how malicious the stairs were and how they were plotting her downfall, Eleanor missed Michael's sadistic grin.

"Come now, Eleanor. Stairs aren't that terrible. It's just because you're drunk." Michael chided her, and Eleanor glared at him, but refrained from snapping at him.

Rolling her eyes, Eleanor tried to put her thoughts together. "Whatever. And why do you say my name like that?" 

"Like what?" The confused tone made her realize he had no clue that he was saying her name as ‘Eleaner' and not ‘Eleanor'.

"You say it differently. You have been. Since you hired me, dude. But that's okay, I like how you say it." Shaking his head at her, Michael continued to help her up the stairs to her floor, the smell of leather clouding her thoughts quite thoroughly. 

Reaching her door, Eleanor immediately missed the contact of his large hand at her back, and the tingles it sent up and down her spine. "Thank you, Michael. I owe you one." She said, her vision clearing up enough to notice an odd look on his face.

Scrunching her face in confusion, Eleanor opened her mouth to ask him what that look was for before he reached up and pushed some hair away from her face.

"Be careful who you're indebted to, Eleanor Shellstrop. Sometimes people collect those debts."

"What? What does that even mean?" Confusion clearly plastered on her face, Michael just chuckled and opened her door for her.

"You'll figure it out. Now, this is where we say our goodbyes. Sleep well, Ms. Shellstrop. Pleasant dreams." Michael said with a grin that sliced into her soul.

"Goodnight, Michael." Shutting her door, Eleanor kicked off her heels and peeled off her dress, flopping into bed with a groan. She was totally going to feel this in the morning, for sure. 

 

_Her nails scratching against his chest. His hands gripping her hips in a desperate attempt to control her. As if he ever could. He was hers to control._

_Soft panting and the delicious burn that could only be created in the heat of the moment. It was so fun to have him under her, nearly catatonic from their pace._

 _Of course, Eleanor had always been a selfish lover, and he certainly didn't seem to mind._

_Lowering herself so that she could press open-mouthed kisses against his collarbones, Eleanor grinned mischievously as she took his hands and pinned them down next to his head._

 _It wasn't like he couldn't get out of her hold, but it was all about power. Her power over him._

_"You like this, don't you?" Teasing him, Eleanor nearly laughed when she felt his wrists flex under her hands._

_Continuing their brutal pace, the euphoria that she felt was nothing compared to the feeling of peace and safety that was overwhelming her senses._

 _Knowing that no matter what, he knew her, better than anyone. Knew how to drive her absolutely wild._

_Breaking free from her hold, his hands came to her face and their lips crashed together in an earth-shattering kiss. Eyes closed, bodies melded together in a dance as old as time, and frankly downright sinful._

_"I..I'm close." Eleanor whispered as she broke their kiss, his thumb came and brushed her bottom lip as their rhythm broke and became frantic._

_Foreheads pressed together, Eleanor opened her eyes and locked onto his grey ones as they reached their peaks together._

_"Michael!"_

Sitting up in bed, Eleanor groaned at the pain of her hangover and the heat of her arousal. She had a sex dream. About **Michael**.

"Well, fuck."


End file.
